Fabled (22 page)

“I have a delivery for Mack Blackman,” a man’s voice said.

“Bring ‘em ‘round back,” Mack answered. We all, except Cilla, rushed to the back of the house. The back door led out into an alleyway.

The rain had caused most everyone in the city indoors, which meant the alley was completely unoccupied, save us. Cale stepped outside first. He immediately recognized the driver and shook his hand. Chester and I let out a sigh of relief. We went to the back of the wagon and unloaded the iron that had been placed on top of the others. It hid them well. I wouldn’t have thought people could have survived under so much weight, and it turns out
people
couldn’t. They were in wolf form.

There were seven of them in all, including the driver. Cale had them change for us, one by one, so we all were witnesses to their gifting. Mack seemed agitated still, though. It was then I realized that Humbert wasn’t with them. The driver appeared to recognize this.

“We had a little trouble at the gate. Everything is okay, but the guards were a little suspicious. They said they’d been getting a lot of people coming in the gates at the blacksmith’s request, so they took Humbert. You’ll have to go claim him. They promised not to cause him any harm. He was their ‘insurance.’ They explained if the blacksmith didn’t return, they’d set out to find us and alert the royals,” the driver said. Mack nodded and headed down the street.
 

“Wait. What if it’s a trap?” Cale interjected.

“He’s my son. I’m getting him out of their no-good royal-lovin’ paws, you hear me?” Mack said.

I watched the rain pelt Mack as he hobbled down the street towards Royal Court’s gates as everyone else went inside.

I explained to Cilla where Mack went, what happened with Humbert, and assured her he was okay, but it didn’t help anything. She was still locked in her own thoughts.

I sat next to her, the only way I could think of to comfort her, and watched the muscular, burly men gather around the dining room table and talk about their plans. There were a lot of words like “get them,” “show them,” “what’s coming to them” being said, and I began to feel angry.
Do they even care about saving Madeline? Or is this just an excuse for revenge?
I sequestered into my own frustration, and by the time Mack and Humbert got back, I was pulling at the strings of my clothing too.

“Oh Humbert!” Cilla cried as they came through the door. He flew to her and rested on her lap. She ran her fingers down the feathers of his back and cried quietly.

“They’re on to us. Whatever yous guys are gonna do, ya better do it fast, before they have too much time to think on it,” Mack said flopping in his chair.

“What did they say?” I asked. Everyone quieted and listened.

“They asked a lot of questions. Questions are never good. People only ask questions when they think there’s something to find out.”

The guys went back to their conversations, more serious this time. I refocused on my fear, just as seriously. I stared out the window and watched the rain dribble off the thatched roof. A sudden loud flash lit up the street. My heart raced. This was only the beginning of the storm.

Chapter 23

The plan was simple. Distract the guards, get inside, save Madeline, and run. It sounded simple anyway. Cale decided since the guards got a little suspicious when the pack rolled in that we should attack before daybreak. There was no sense waiting. We had already staked out the area and learned all we could.
 

The guys spent the rest of the afternoon strategizing. I sat at the table with them, trying to keep calm and keep up. Their ramblings about overpowering the guards and staying clear of any royals that may be drawn in by the commotion made my head spin.

“What happens if a royal steps in to help control the situation?” I finally asked.

“Hide,” one said.

“Run,” said another.

“Do whatever you’ve got to do to avoid them.”
 

“It won’t come to that, Roe. Don’t worry. We will be in and out before they are ever alerted,” Chester said calmly and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

“How can you be so sure?” I asked nervously. “How will we even know where Madeline is exactly?”

“She’ll be in the front garden. Humbert has already flown over. He roughed us a map. Here,” Cale said and handed it to me. The others had obviously already seen the block of wood that Humbert sloppily carved with his talons. I looked it over carefully, noticing the front garden would begin only steps after entering the castle’s gates. An “X” marked the spot where Madeline’s body was being held. I nodded to Cale and passed the block back to him.

“Everything is going to be okay, Roe. We can do this. We have to.” His voice trailed. That was the first time I’d seen Cale weak. I could see he was scared just like me; only he was better at covering it up with his masculine facade.
 

Realizing that the strongest man I’d ever known was scared sent my heart into a panic. I started to hyperventilate. I tapped my chest and tried to concentrate on my breathing, but I couldn’t. My heart and mind raced and before I knew it, I saw stars.

“Are you alright?” Chester asked and placed his hand on my clammy arm. I now had everyone’s attention. Their worried eyes pierced me and made me feel weak and insecure. I jumped up from the table.

“I need some air,” I said in a slightly louder voice than necessary and ran to the rooftop deck.
 

I took several deep breathes in, but the sight of the royal gates only forced me back into my fearful state. I decided to avoid them by looking in the opposite direction. Rain trickled down my face. After several moments, I could breathe again. All that mattered was that I find some inner strength long enough to pull off my task, save Madeline, and figure out how to build a life in this wretched place.
 

What will it be like after tonight? Will I be running forever?

No. Life here can be great if you’re the one in control.

How could I ever be in control of anything? I can’t even control my own breathing?

If the royals are defeated, their power is relinquished to the next heir
—
the victor.

How can we defeat them?

Take down the one that’s in power
—
Dresdem. He wears a band on his right arm. If you take it, all his family will lose their royal, magical privileges, and you will become the next royal leader.
 

Like a bracelet?

No. It’s an inked printing of our ancestor’s crest. All royal blood can be traced to Father Merlin. He sought the stars and found the key to Earthbound magic. It had never been done before him. He grew tired of mortal kings and decided that his family would forever rule the Earth with magic. There are two members of our family at all times that are carriers of the ink. The sign of the crest marks the most powerful beholder of magic throughout the land. It can be stolen only with magic.

I’m not royal; therefore, I don’t have magic. Besides if they lock me away, what would happen to us? To them?

“Is everything okay?” Chester interrupted.

I nodded as he approached. We stared over the rail and looked out at the town. The rain pelted us.

“You know, Roe, I knew when I first saw you that you would forever change my life. Something deep within me knew you were going to make everything better. I know I haven’t always done the right things, and my fear has often led me astray. But I believe it was meant for me to meet you, and I cannot thank you enough for showing me what it feels like to be alive again. It’s been decades since I thought that Mezzanine was anything but horrid. Now, despite its wretchedness, you’ve opened my eyes to bravery, friendship, and love. These things still exist here despite the royals. No matter what happens tonight, I know that this is what it feels like to be in awe of someone.” He took my hand and placed it on his heart. “You’re my music.”
 

I couldn’t resist kissing him. Passion overwhelmed me; our hearts and souls collided. Every worry I possessed faded. All I wanted was to live in his embrace forever. I ran my fingers through his wet hair while our lips rhythmically caressed. I felt like we were indestructible — like nothing could ever crush this beautiful young love.
 

We lingered in our perfect bliss for as long as we could. As midnight approached, we knew we had to join the others and get prepared. He went with me downstairs into the front room and joined the others. Heaviness hung in the air, weighed down with all our fears. Everyone was quieter than they had been all day, paralyzed with fear.

Cale rehearsed with us what we were to do if we came in contact with a royal. The short answer — run. He also went over and over the plan to get into the gates. He wanted the sequence of events to be branded into our minds and become second nature. I had memorized everything he’d said, and I’m sure the others had too.

This was it. The moment we’d all been planning for. There was something terrifyingly magical about it.
 

“It’s time,” Cale said.
 

The calm before the chaos.
 

We each pulled up our dark hoods and followed him into the empty streets. There was a short time before the sun met the horizon. As we approached the gates, we each faded one by one into dark corridors and shadows. Chester gave me a quick tug on my hand before letting me go into my own hiding spot. I watched as he bravely neared the gates and disappeared.
 

It took longer than I had expected, or maybe it only felt like it did. It felt like I’d been standing there for hours before I heard the commotion.
 

“Quick! Get that man!” A guard said to another. Then I heard Cale’s taunts. “Do you need your
masters
to come help you?” Their boots clanked on the stone road after him. I worried about Cale, especially since I knew Chester was with him. Even though he was invisible, anything could go wrong. I peeked around the corner and saw two other guards on the inside of the gates peering suspiciously through the iron bars. There was no sign of Cale or the outside guards who had followed him.

The plan was to lead them down the road, turn into the beast, and keep the men down until Chester could grab their keys. Chester would return to unlock the gates, and we were to crowd inside and overtake the other guards.
 

We waited.
 

It was taking too long, and my heart pounded through every part of my being. I stared at the gate, forgetting to blink. That’s when I saw the key appear in the lock and turn. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Chester was there and okay. He hesitated and then opened the gates wide. Beasts flew from the darkness through the gates. The guards inside didn’t have a chance to scream. The pack attacked their throats and wounded them so badly they couldn’t do anything but gurgle for help. Two beasts dragged them away. The instructions were to take the guards to the blacksmith’s where they’d be locked in Mack’s storage and guarded until all of this was over. Cale was probably there now with the other guards. Before I could make it out of hiding, I felt something grab my hand. He appeared.
 

“Are you ready?” Chester whispered with a smile.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” He grabbed my hand tighter, and we both ran towards the castle and through the gates. The remaining beasts scouted out the front garden to see if there were any other threats. The morning guards weren’t expected to show up for another hour, so we had some time before we knew trouble would find us. Chester and I ran straight into the garden. The hedges were like a maze, nearly nine feet tall and so thick that no one could walk through them. Every few minutes we’d pass through a square. It would be in the middle of the hedges and offer four paths for us to take. There’d be flowers and a bench in every square. Everything looked the same, and it didn’t take me long to realize we could easily get lost.

Two wolves were with us, which made me feel somewhat better. One led the way and the other followed. When we’d arrive at a square, they would wait on me to choose a path. I pulled Humbert’s block out of my satchel and made my choice.

We went on like this. With every moment that passed, panic took more and more root into our minds and bodies. We began to run faster and choose quicker.
 

Finally we approached a square that looked different. A glass coffin sat in its middle. I approached it slowly. The others stayed back and watched. It was the first time Chester had let go of my hand.
 

“Madeline, can you hear me?” I asked while placing my hands on the casing.

She had grown frail and every bit of color had left her body; she was ghostly white. Her lips were purple and her blonde hair had faded into a dull gray. She was barely recognizable. Looking at her frightened me.

“We need to hurry,” Chester whispered.
 

I started to run my fingers across the ledge of the door, looking for some way to open it. I located a button and pressed it firmly. The door opened. A whiff of decay filled my nostrils. I gagged.

“Hurry! Just grab her,” Chester screamed.
 

I wrapped my arms around her and tried to pull her out; Chester assisted. Her tiny body seemed to be affixed to the coffin.

“What now?” I asked, panicking.

“I don’t know.”

I then remembered what Riddler had said to Chester. I held my breath, leaned in, and kissed her forehead. I watched as her eyes lifted, then her hand, and then her voice. “I knew you’d come for me,” she said with a gentle smile.

“Of course,” I nodded. “Now we have to go. Quickly. Do you think you can walk?” I helped her to her feet. She took a step and wobbled. Her muscles were weak.
 

“We’ll let her ride back,” Chester said while helping her onto one of the wolves. She straddled his back and wrapped her thin arms around his neck.
 

“Hold on tight,” Chester instructed.
 

We were off again. We ran back in the same direction we came, reading Humbert’s block in reverse. We all knew that the chances of getting back without mistakes was unlikely, but we were going to give it our best shot. The first few turns went well, but the feeling of impending doom quickly caught up to us. My legs screamed in fatigue. Madeline’s eyes had trouble staying open, and I knew holding on was about to become impossible for her.